Sintra: Sintra National Palace
When we went to Portugal last month, we didn’t spend much time planning our itinerary. This is contrary to my normal way of vacationing, where I have everything figured out ahead of time (e.g. on our...
View ArticleSintra: Castle of the Moors
After we visited Sintra National Palace, the next stop on our list was the Castle of the Moors. Built in the 8th or 9th century, the castle now only consists of ruins, though there are efforts to...
View ArticleGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
During our visit to Tennessee last year, my parents planned for us to spend a day in Gatlinburg, a city on the border to North Carolina. Gatlinburg is a (kitschy) mountain resort town, but although we...
View ArticleSintra: Pena National Palace
During our day in Sintra, once we had visited Sintra National Palace and the Castle of the Moors, our next stop was Pena National Palace, located just up the hill from the castle. Note that when I say...
View ArticleLutherstadt Wittenberg
Back in August, my friends and family came out to Berlin to celebrate our wedding with us. Since it was a busy week with lots of group events, we knew we wouldn’t have a lot of one-on-one time with my...
View ArticleWarsaw: Old Town
When I first announced that I was spending my birthday in Warsaw this year, the reaction from a lot of people (including Polish friends) was that Warsaw is an ugly city. And in some sense, it is. The...
View ArticleDessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm
Last year, prior to my parents visiting in the summer, my mom had a very clear list of things she wanted to see: all things Martin Luther, and castles. So since we didn’t have a lot of free time,...
View ArticleBerlin: Pfaueninsel
I can’t remember when I first heard about Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island), but I know I was amazed. An island? Full of peacocks? In Berlin? And you have to take a ferry to get there? What is this place? I...
View ArticleHelsinki: Suomenlinna
Like most expats who hail from coastal destinations, I am all too aware of the landlocked feeling of where I live. The dozens of lakes in Berlin make it so that water is never far, but enclosed bodies...
View ArticleLübben: Kahnfahrt
For our anniversary getaway in Lübben, one of the things I wanted to do (and, well, one of the only things to do aside from eat pickles) is go on a Kahnfahrt (boat trip) through the local Fließe...
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